Tag: Atlanta Robbin’ Season

FX is taking you down South once more, as the cable network has renewed Donald Glover’s surreal dramedy “Atlanta” for a third season set to premiere in 2019. (No word on if Season 3 will have a modified title a la the sophomore installment’s moniker, “Robbin’ Season.”)

“‘Atlanta’ is phenomenal, achieving and exceeding what few television series have done,” Nick Grad said Thursday, while announcing the renewal with fellow president of original programming for FX Networks and FX Productions, Eric Schrier. “With ‘Atlanta Robbin’ Season,’ Donald and his collaborators elevated the series to even greater heights, building on the enormous success of their award-winning first season. We’re grateful to the producers and our extraordinary cast and crew for achieving this level of excellence, and we share the excitement with our audience about the third season knowing they will continue to take us to unexpected and thrilling places.”

Backed by FX Productions and created by Glover, “Atlanta” also stars Brian Tyree Henry, Lakeith Lee Stanfield and Zazie Beetz.

The gap between Season 1 and Season 2 of “Atlanta” was substantial, with the FX series not returning from its first year wrap in the fall of 2017 until this March.

In the recently concluded second season, two cousins work through the Atlanta music scene in order to better their lives and the lives of their families. Earn Marks (Donald Glover) is a young manager trying to get his cousin’s career off the ground. Alfred Miles (Brian Tyree Henry) is a new hot rapper trying to understand the line between real life and street life. Darius (Lakeith Lee Stanfield) is Alfred’s right-hand man and visionary. Van (Zazie Beetz) is Earn’s best friend and the mother of Earn’s daughter.

As the critically acclaimed Atlanta Robbin’ Seasoncontinues to impress and puzzle, FX announced today that the upcoming sixth episode of the Golden Globe-winning series titled “Teddy Perkins” will air on April 5 uninterrupted. Why? We’re not exactly sure — but it certainly is on brand with the show’s surreal nature.
The summary for the 41-minute episode written by Donald Glover and directed by Hiro Murai reads: “Darius is trippin in this one. Y’all know I woulda been…

Turns out, the premiere of “Atlanta Robbin’ Season” was actually higher-rated than the “Atlanta” series debut. The sophomore start for Donald Glover’s FX sitcom was actually the top scripted comedy episode on basic cable in more than a year.

Counting three days worth of delayed viewing, the premiere telecast of “Atlanta Robbin’ Season” scored 1.3 million viewers in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic — the most for a show of its kind since “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” on January 18, 2017.

That demo sum means the “Robbin’ Season” premiere landed 7 percent more viewers in the key age-range than the “Atlanta” series debut. The two Episode 1s ended up tied in terms of total viewers.

The “Atlanta Robbin’ Season” premiere was the No. 1 show of the night among adults 18-49.

In “Atlanta Robbin’ Season,” two cousins work through the Atlanta music scene in order to better their lives and the lives of their families. Earn Marks (Donald Glover) is a young manager trying to get his cousin’s career off the ground. Alfred Miles (Brian Tyree Henry) is a new hot rapper trying to understand the line between real life and street life. Darius (Lakeith Lee Stanfield) is Alfred’s right-hand man and visionary. Van (Zazie Beetz) is Earn’s best friend and the mother of Earn’s daughter.

Donald Glover serves as executive producer, along with Paul Simms, Dianne McGunigle and Stephen Glover. “Atlanta” is produced by FX Productions.

Donald Glover’s award-winning series “Atlanta” will enter its second — err, “Robbin’ Season,” on Thursday, and we cannot wait to catch up with Earn and the gang. But while everyone and their mother is a fan of the show, there is one demographic in particular who can appreciate the FX hit unlike any other: Glover’s fellow Derrick Comedy alums.

TheWrap recently spoke with former Derrick actors Dominic Dierkes and DC Pierson, their director Dan Eckman and the crew’s producer Meggie McFadden, who all worked with Glover for years as part of the internet sketch comedy group they formed at New York University in 2006.

The comedians — who also produced the 2009 flick “Mystery Team” together — don’t hang with Glover nearly as much as they used to (he’s pretty busy), but they do catch “Atlanta,” and they see their old friend — and his particular brand of humor — reflected in the dramedy.

“It’s so Donald,” McFadden, who is currently collaborating with Pierson and her husband Eckman on film and TV projects, tells TheWrap. “I don’t know. I feel like Derrick had this great combination of everybody’s sensibilities. But I don’t know. I don’t really know what to say about it other than it’s extremely Donald. And he was always interested in exploring subcultures and the way that people live in America and it’s very him. And I think he likes humor coming from darker places and I think that’s present in a lot of our sketches, albeit in an extremely heightened and maybe a little bit goofier way.”

Dierkes, currently a writer and co-executive producer on Fox’s “The Mick,” says “Atlanta” is a creation so far from what Derrick Comedy was doing — but that’s not a bad thing.

“I think that specifically with ‘Atlanta,’ when I watch it, I definitely don’t think that it’s something Derrick could have produced. That collaboration wouldn’t have produced anything like that show,” Dierkes said. “When I watch it I see a lot of things that Donald — cause Donald always was a fan of the weird and surreal, but he also, you know, liked things to be funny. Like he’s not just kind of wanting to be weird for weird’s sake. I mean, he was a dramatic writing major. He had written some plays that were of a slightly weirder bent that weren’t just sketch comedy.”

“So when I see ‘Atlanta,’ I do kind of feel like it is a fusion of the things that I’ve known him to do excellently, which is like music, hard comedy with jokes — and that’s what the show is first and foremost — but then a surreal thing I think is hard to kind of define,” Dierkes continued. “But I would say ‘Atlanta’ has a more surrealist thing going on than a lot of Derrick sketches did or than ‘Mystery Team,’ for example. But it’s a very Donald thing.”

Pierson, author of “The Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep and Never Had To” and “Crap Kingdom,” agrees — when he watches “Atlanta,” it is all Glover.

“I think it’s obviously like, you see on display parts of what makes him so good,” Pierson said. “And I think also too, it’s cool to see it’s just been what he’s done with music, or with the show, is very, very him. So it’s tough to say that came from us. It comes from him.”

Eckman says he’s a huge fan of the series, but it’s easy to be a fan of Donald and everything he does “because he’s really, really good.” So good even, that the former Derrick Comedy director says the group used to joke about a having a “countdown until Donald was famous.”

“There was just no question. We all felt confident in our own abilities. But there was no question. He was going to be a superstar.”

Fans of Derrick Comedy are well aware it’s where Donald Glover got his start. But while the Emmy winner may be the best-known alum from the internet sketch comedy group formed in 2006, it turns out he wouldn’t consider himself the funniest one.

In fact, former Derrick actors Dominic Dierkes and DC Pierson, their director Dan Eckman and the crew’s producer Meggie McFadden tell TheWrap that Glover used to insist he was living in the shadow of someone who wasn’t even a member of Derrick Comedy: his little brother, Stephen.

“Donald was very clear that he felt he was doing like a pale impression of Stephen,” Eckman said, laughing. “Maybe he was being overly dramatic? But he felt that Stephen was the more talented one.”

And now the Derrick gang (who is also responsible for the 2009 flick “Mystery Team”) has finally gotten the chance to see what Glover was talking about all those years ago, thanks to his Golden Globe-winning series “Atlanta.”

The Glover brothers collaborate closely on the hit FX dramedy, which Donald created, stars in, directs, writes and executive produces with Stephen acting as a writer and head story editor.

“Something that is cool to me about ‘Atlanta’ and the success of the show has been like, Donald always said that his brother Stephen was funnier than him,” Pierson said. “And at the time, it was like ‘Oh, it’s just this kid back home.’ So it’s been cool to see Stephen kind of develop through the show. And then outward it’s like, I met him, I thought he was cool and funny, and I really, really liked him. But it’s cool to see now that thing that Donald said. Stephen has clearly become his own thing entirely and I think that’s something that is super cool and reminds me of when he used to say, ‘Stephen is funnier than me.’”

Well, go rewatch the season 1 episodes “B.A.N.” — which Donald received a 2017 Emmy nomination for writing — and “Streets on Lock” — for which Stephen got a nod that same year — and you be the judge.

In real life, Donald Glover might be an unstoppable force with a packed calendar of music, film and television projects, but his “Atlanta” alter ego Earn — though increasingly industrious — is far from successful. He’s also been MIA on audiences since November 2016 — when the first season of the FX series wrapped — and at the time, he wasn’t doing so hot. Well, by conventional standards, that is.

Before the Glover-created show’s second installment — named “Atlanta Robbin’ Season,” instead of “Atlanta” Season 2 (because reasons) — hits Thursday, we decided to run through where we left off with Earn, Alfred aka rapper Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry), Darius (Lakeith Stanfield) and Van (Zazie Beetz).

The Season 1 finale, “The Jacket,” saw Earn looking for his blue bomber the day after he got borderline-blackout drunk with Alfred and Darius. It’s got something in the pocket he seems pretty invested in retrieving, so he retraces his steps using Alfred’s Snapchat story before figuring out he left it in an Uber.

The attempt to get our protagonist’s property back is ultimately unsuccessful, as Darius, Alfred and Earn’s meet up with their ride-share driver turns into a fatal shootout with the cops. The crew comes out unscathed (luckily, they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time), but the now-dead suspect/Uber employee is wearing Earn’s jacket, which the police find to be empty-pocketed. Crap.

Back at his and Darius’ crib, Alfred throws a wad of cash at Earn, telling his cousin/music manager he “did good” after learning Senator K (who we assume is a big deal) wants to take Paper Boi on tour. Earn ends up handing a good chunk of that change over to Van after cooking her and their daughter dinner and snuggling up on the couch. Van wonders if he made that money selling drugs and Earn is very flattered that his baby mama thinks he could successfully deal in that trade.

Earn finally gets what he’s been looking for the entire episode when Justin shows up to return some keys, which the former had apparently asked the latter to hold onto for safekeeping the night before. Then he heads out, though Van tells him he can stay if he wants after calling him a “good daddy.” He knows he’s welcome, but opts to leave for the location the keys unlock — a storage unit he has been living in.

The episode closes with Earn lying down to look at the two $100 bills he’s saved for himself, while listening to music through his headphones, before turning off the lights. His living situation may be a mess, but he looks a little hopeful for the moment. Of course, now comes “Robbin’ Season.”

When FX’s Atlanta returns for its second season in March, it’ll be rebranded as Atlanta Robbin’ Season—a name meant to indicate that this new batch of episodes won’t exactly be a continuation of last season as much it will be an evolution of its themes. We saw a quick clip earlier this year teasing that the show was…

FX released the first trailer for the second season of the Donald Glover dramedy on Tuesday, which will be set during the period around the holidays when the city experiences an elevated level of crime.

“It’s just a time that robberies go up — all kinds,” executive producer Stephen Glover explained earlier this year. “You might get your package stolen off your front porch. When we were there shooting, my neighbor got her car stolen out her driveway. It’s just like a very kind of tense and desperate time.”

“So we wanted that to be the backdrop to this season,” he continued. “Our characters are going through [a] transition from their whole lives to where they’re heading now. Yeah, ‘Robbin Season’ is kind of a metaphor for all of that.”

Alongside Donald Glover, stars Brian Tyree Henry, Lakeith Stanfield and Zazie Beetz will also return for the second season.

Why is the new season of Atlanta being called Atlanta Robbin Season?
“Everybody gotta eat,” as a character in this new trailer puts it (watch it above to see who). So, yes, there will be robbery.
The series returns to FX next month, and the logline is as short on spoilers as the trailer: Two cousins work through the Atlanta music scene in order to better their lives and the lives of their families.
But here’s what Deadline learned in January at TCA: Exec producer Donald Gl…

Even after winning a Golden Globe for his hilarious yet stirring comedy, Atlanta, Donald Glover wasn’t looking to play it safe. As he recently told TV critics, he wasn’t so much interested in continuing the stories of the first season so much as the overall tone of the show. So he announced a change in title—Atlanta…

The upcoming run of FX’s hit sitcom “Atlanta” isn’t called “Season 2” — it’s titled “Robbin’ Season.” Uh, what’s that now? Frankly, most of us TV critics had no idea what the phrase means, but Stephen Glover graciously offered up a very thorough explanation.

“Robbin’ Season, for most of you that I guess don’t know, is a time in Atlanta right before Christmastime and New Year’s,” the executive producer and writer explained at a Television Critics Association panel on Friday. “Basically, a bunch of crime happens in the city right during that time.”

“Yeah, people have to give Christmas gifts and [other] people have that stuff,” Stephen continued in the street history lesson. “People just have more stuff, money. And people need money. It’s just a time that robberies go up — all kinds. You might get your package stolen off your front porch. When we were there shooting, my neighbor got her car stolen out her driveway.”

“It’s just like a very kind of tense and desperate time,” he went on. “So we wanted that to be the backdrop to this season. Our characters are going through [a] transition from their whole lives to where they’re heading now. Yeah, ‘Robbin Season’ is kind of a metaphor for all of that.”

FX has slotted premiere dates for season 2 of Emmy and Golden Globe-winning Atlanta, the series premiere of drama Trust and the sixth and final season of praised drama series The Americans.Atlanta Robbin’ Season (aka Atlanta Season 2) will debut Thursday, March 1 at 10 PM ET/PT; Trust premieres Sunday, March 25 at 10 PM ET/PT and The Americans Season 6 debuts Wednesday, March 28 at 10 PM ET/PT.
In Atlanta Robbin’ Season, two cousins work through the Atlanta music scene…

“Atlanta” fans don’t have to wait much longer for the “Robbin’” season. FX has set the season premiere dates for “Atlanta Robbin’ Season” and the final run of “The Americans,” as well as the series debut for “Trust.”

“Atlanta”In “Atlanta Robbin’ Season,” two cousins work through the Atlanta music scene in order to better their lives and the lives of their families. “Earn Marks” (Donald Glover) is a young manager trying to get his cousin’s career off the ground. “Alfred Miles” (Brian Tyree Henry) is a new hot rapper trying to understand the line between real life and street life. “Darius” (Lakeith Lee Stanfield) is Alfred’s right-hand man and visionary. “Van” (Zazie Beetz) is Earn’s best friend and the mother of Earn’s daughter.

“Trust”Inspired by actual events, “Trust”delves into the trials and triumphs of one of America’s wealthiest and unhappiest families, the Gettys. Equal parts family history, dynastic saga and an examination of the corrosive power of money, “Trust” explores the complexities at the heart of every family, rich or poor.

Told over multiple seasons and spanning the 20th century, the series begins in 1973 with the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III (Harris Dickinson), an heir to the Getty oil fortune, by the Italian mafia in Rome. His captors banked on a multi-million-dollar ransom. After all, what rich family wouldn’t pay for the return of a loved one? Paul’s grandfather, J. Paul Getty Sr. (Donald Sutherland), an enigmatic oil tycoon and possibly the richest man in the world, is marooned in a Tudor mansion in the English countryside surrounded by a harem of mistresses and a pet lion. He’s busy.

Paul’s father, J. Paul Getty Jr. (Michael Esper), is lost in a daze in London and refuses to answer the phone. Only Paul’s mother, Gail Getty (Hilary Swank), is left to negotiate with the increasingly desperate kidnappers. Unfortunately, she’s broke.

“Trust” charts the teenage grandson’s nightmare ordeal at the hands of kidnappers who cannot understand why nobody seems to want their captive back. The cast also includes Brendan Fraser, Anna Chancellor, Norbert Leo Butz, Charlotte Riley and Luca Marinelli. “Trust” is created by Simon Beaufoy and executive produced by Danny Boyle, Beaufoy and Christian Colson, with Boyle directing the first three episodes. The show is produced by FX Productions, Cloud Eight Films, Decibal Films and Snicket Films Limited.

“The Americans”“The Americans” is a period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C. during the Reagan administration. The arranged marriage of Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but as the pressures and demands of the job grow heavier, the personal toll becomes almost too exhausting to bear. Having revealed their true identities to their teenage daughter Paige (Holly Taylor), Philip and Elizabeth’s ability to protect their cover and their family’s safety deteriorates.

After a particularly fraught mission, Philip and Elizabeth decide to end their tour and take their family home to Russia. However, a game-changing development in one of their ongoing cases forces them to abandon those plans for the sake of the motherland. Now, Paige delves deeper into the family business, even as Philip takes a step back from it. The Jennings struggle to maintain a smokescreen of normalcy, especially around their son, Henry (Keidrich Sellati), who remains blissfully ignorant of the spies in his midst. Their neighbor and Philip’s best friend, FBI Agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), has also yet to discover their true identities. Although he’s transferred divisions, Stan remains their greatest threat since his friend and former partner, Agent Dennis Aderholt (Brandon J. Dirden), leads the force tasked with uncovering the Soviet Illegals hiding in plain sight.

With Gorbachev in power in the Soviet Union, the winds of change are sweeping through both Russia and America, creating new perils. A growing rift within the KGB draws disillusioned former officer Oleg Burov (Costa Ronin) back into the fray, and may set Philip and Elizabeth on opposing sides as the Cold War reaches its boiling point.